Fall Eating w/Turkey Soup Recipe

Eating For the Seasons—fall

As the trees let go of the leaves because they are no longer beneficial, so to begins the phase in the seasons to let go of unhealthy patterns. Autumn is the time for turning inward, releasing, reflecting, finishing projects, and according to Chinese medicine; it is the period for nourishing the lung and large intestines.  This is a perfect season to do a full body cleanse and to support and clean the intestines.  It is also time to focus on nourishing the lungs through increased exercises like yoga, cardio, and stretching.  Skin brushing and exfoliation are an ideal remedy to permit the skin to assist in a full body detox and act as a third lung.  This allows the skin to breathe and further remove toxins.

Eating seasonally and locally nourishes overall health, so for this autumn, here are a few items to look for to nourish the body & mind.

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•      Nuts and seeds: pumpkin seeds, walnuts, almonds, or sunflower seeds
•          Seasonal Mushrooms to assist in minimizing colds and flu.
•          Beans and legumes for health easy to digest protein.
•          Spicy herbs like cayenne & ginger to add heat and nourish digestion.
•          Squashes & root vegetables like beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, and celery root (celeriac) will ground you and soothe digestion.
•          Garlic and Onion are perfect for boosting the immune system.
•          Increase LEAN proteins like chicken and turkey
•          Enjoy cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli,  bok choy, and cauliflower

Tip for the season: Make some Chicken and vegetable soup and/or use your left over turkey from Thanksgiving to make a wonderful soup.  Throw some of the items listed above into a pot with some chicken or vegetable broth and let it simmer for an easy nourishing soup.

(This article is also written and posted at Vitality Chiropractic Center by me, Shandalla Seirawan-Oct. 2015).

Post Thanksgiving Turkey Soup

1. 3 cups Leftover Turkey meat from Thanksgiving, as well as, bones and drippings
2. 2 quarts of chicken broth
3. 1 Tbs of  white, rice, OR apple cider vinegar (this will get the turkey bones to release it's immune boosting properties, and the vinegar will go unnoticed and evaporate off)
4. 2+ cups water
5. 4 cloves garlic minced
6. 1 onion chopped
7. 3 stalks of celery, chopped
8. 2 carrots, sliced
9. 2 leeks whites only, cleaned thoroughly and loosely chopped
10. 8 oz mushrooms, chopped
11. 1/4 of a cabbage, loosely chopped
12. 4 Tbs fresh Parsley, divided and minced finely
13. 2 Bay leaves
14. 1 Tbs Dry Italian Seasoning
15. 1 Tbs Dry Basil
16. Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large saute pan, add olive oil and saute garlic, onion, and celery until onion is transparent. Add in carrots and leeks.  Saute another 5 min and transfer to a large stock pot.  Add in all remaining ingredients, reserving 2 Tbs of fresh parsley as a garnish. Simmer for 1-1/2 hrs, adding water as needed due to loss because evaporation, keep bones covered with liquid. Once the soup has simmered, REMOVE bones and Bay leaf and discard, add parsley garnish on top, and serve hot with leftover rolls or any other bread.  BEWARE of small bones that may have been missed, this could be a choking hazard.